Cutting-stick for paper-cutting machines and the like.



O. B. RUSSELL.

CUTTING STICK FOR PAPER CUTTING MACHINES AND THE LIKE.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 21, 1913.

Llw wfiw Patented Jan.5,1915.

WE ETA T l CHARLES B. RUSSELL, OF BUFFALO, NEW YORK.

CUTTING-STICK'FOR PAPER-CUTTING MACHINES AND THE LIKE.

Application filed November 21, 1913.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, CHARLES B. RUSSELL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Bufialo, in the county of Erie and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Cutting-Sticks for Paper Cutting Machines and the like, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to devices, termed cutting sticks, which are employed in paper cutting machines and the like to provide a suitable surface for the edge of the knife to contact with in cutting through the material. These socalled cutting sticks usually comprise a metal clamp or holder which is'located in a groove or slot in the bed plate of the machine, and a strip of suitable relatively soft material (usually wood) which is removably held in place by the clamp or holder and with which the edge of the knife can contact without injuring or dulling the same. The upper surface of this strip soon becomes cut or worn by the knife and it is then necessary to remove the strip from the clamp and turn it to present another side of the strip to the knife, or the strip is replaced by another strip.

The objects of this invention are to produce a cutting stick of improved construction which can be quickly and easily operated to secure and release the strip and which will hold the strip rigidly and securely in place; and also to improve the construction of the cutting strip in the re spects hereinafter specified.

In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is a fragmentary sectional elevation of a paper cutting machine having a cutting stick embodying the invention. Fig. 2 is a fragmentary sectional perspective view thereof. Fig. 3 is a fragmentary longitudinal sectional elevation thereof. Fig. 4 is a fragmentary plan View thereof. Fig. 5 is a fragmentary sectional plan view thereof on line 5-5, Fig. 3. Fig. 6 is a fragmentary sectional elevation thereof on line 66, Fig. 1.

A represents the knife and B the bed plate of a cutting machine of ordinary type, in which the knife is movable toward and from the bed plate. The bed plate is provided with a slot or groove C which extends parallel with and below the knife and in which the cutting stick is confined. These parts may be of any usual or suitable construction.

The cutting stick comprises a strip D of Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 5, 1915.

Serial No. 802,224.

wood or other suitable material, and two parallel clamping bars E and F which are located in the slot C and between which the strip D is clamped and held. The bar E is provided at one side of the upper part with an open-sided groove or seat 6 in which the strip D is held by the other bar F. This seat is preferably of less width than the strip so that the strip extends slightly be yond the side of the bar E, and is adapted to be engaged by the bar F which is preferably rectangular in cross-section and is located at the side of the bar E. These parts are preferably all so proportioned that the upper faces of the clamping bars and of the cutting strip D are flush with the upper face of the bed plate.

In order to hold the parts of the cutting stick in the slot in the bed plate and to secure the strip D between the clamping bars, one of the clamping bars, preferably the grooved bar E, is provided at intervals at the side thereof opposite to the groove 6 with recesses 9 within which are wedges G adapted to act against the adjacent w all of the slot C to secure the stick in place. Preferably these wedges are so arranged that, when in their holding position, their upper edges are flush with the upper face of the bed plate and each wedge is pimted at one end to the grooved bar E, being provided in the construction shown with a pivot or pin g secured thereto and entering a bearing hole in the bar E. Each wedge is provided at the side thereof adjacent to the grooved bar E and near the upper edge thereof, with a flat face 9 which is substantially perpendicular and parallel with the opposite face of the wedge and with the sides of the grooved bar, and which is adapted to bear fiat against a corresponding perpendicular face in the recess 9 when the wedge is in its holding position. The wedge is tapered or inclined from the face g thereof toward the lower edge of the wedge and toward the pivot thereof, so that when the wedg is swung on its pivot into the recess 9 the upper and thicker portion thereof, which is cf greater thickness than the depth of the recess, is forced between thegrooved clamping bar and the wall of the slot C in the bed plate and forces the clamping bar E toward the other bar F. By having the upper portion 9 of the wedges flat or perpendicular and bearing against corresponding faces on the clamping bar which is parallel with the sides of the bar, all tendency ofthe wedge to Work out of its holding position when the machine is in operation is eliminated. This flat-faced portion of the Wedge is substantially equal in height to the vertical face of the strip D and is directly opposite the same in the holding position of the wedge, so that the clamping pressure is exerted on the strip D throughout its height and not merely on the lower edge thereof, as is the case with some of the cutting sticks heretofore made. There is therefore no tendency to compress the bottom of the strip or to wedge it up from between the clamping bars, and the stripis-held perfectly rigid and is not injured or deformed. By making the portion of the wedge adjacent to the pivot of less thickness than the portion 9 thereof, the wedge, whenin the released position shown in Fig. 3, exerts no pressure on the grooved bar E and permits the removal of the strip D fromvbetween the clamping bars of the cutting stickl/Vhen the wedges are in their holding positions, as shown in- Figs. 1 and 2,. the two clamping. bars are pressed together and firmly grip or clamp the strip D,.and the force exerted by thewedges also holds the'several parts of the cutting stick in the slot C. The recesses g are preferably rectangular cuts from top to bottom of the bar E as they can be quickly and economically machined to this shape, though they could, if desired, be of different shape.

Means are provided to facilitate the withdrawing of the wedges out of their holding position. For this purpose each wedge is provided at its free end with a projection H, anda suitable tool I, Fig. 6, is provided, which, as shown, hasa claw or hook 2' adapted to enter the recess 9 and engage the underside of the projection H, and a part a" which is adapted to bear on the upper edge ofthe wedge near the pivot. By swinging the handle of the tool (not shown) to the right, as indicated by the arrow in Fig. 6, the wedge is swung on itspivot and the en gaging. portion thereof is withdrawn from between the grooved clamping bar and the side Wall of the slot C. Any other suitable means forwithdrawing the wedges could be employed.

The construction described has the advantage that the wedges can be very quickly and easily operated to permit the cutting stick to'be removed from the slot C and the strip D to be removed and replaced or turned to present a new face thereof to the knife. To secure the strip the wedges are simply turned downwardly until their upper edges are flush withthe top of the bed plate, and to release the strip the wedges only have to be swung upwardly out of their recesses. It is not. necessary to remove the clamping barsfrom the slot C to release the strip: D, and the tediousandslow operation required to adjust clamping screws such as employed in some cutting sticks is avoided. The wedges, when in their engaging positions, are positively held in place. They are inexpensive to manufacture and have no parts that will readily wear out. As the strip D is held between the clamping bars E andF, which are coextensive in area with the side faces of the strip against which they bear, and is not engaged by the wedges, the side faces of the strip are not indented or marred by the wedges. The side faces of the strip, therefore afford perfect cutting faces when the strip is turned to present them to the knife.

If desired the clamping bar F can be dispensed with and the strip D can be held between the clamping bars E and the side wall of the slot-O.

I- claim as my invention:

1. A cutting stick adapted to be inserted in a slot in acutting machine and comprising' a clamping bar, a strip adapted to be clamped between said bar and the side of the slot, a supporting surface, and a wedge pivoted on said clamping bar and adapted to be swung on its pivot between said supporting surface and said bar to move said bar into a position to rigidly clamp said strip.

2. A cutting stick adapted to be inserted in a slot in a cutting machine and comprising a clampingbar, a strip adapted to be clamped between said bar and. the side of the slot, a supporting. surface, and a wedge pivoted on said clamping bar and adapted tobe swung on its pivot between said supporting surface and said bar to move said bar into a position to rigidly clamp said strip, said wedge having a fiat face near its upper edge and being tapered from the edges of said fiat. face toward the bottom of the wedge and toward said pivot.

3. A cutting stick adapted to'be inserted in a slot in a cutting machine and comprising a clamping bar having a groove in: the upper portion-of one side thereof, a strip in said groove, and a wedgepivoted to one side of said bar and adapted to be swung on its pivots between said bar andthe side wall of the slot to press-said bar toward the opposite wall of the slot and thereby secure the strip in said groove.

4. A cutting stick adapted to be inserted in a slot in a cutting machine and'eomprising a clamping bar having a groove-in the upper portion of one side thereof-,a strip in said groove, recesses'in the side of said bar opposite to said groove, wedges in said recesses and adapted to be forced-between the side wall of saidslotandsaid bar to secure the strip in said groove.

5.- A cuttingstick adapted to be inserted in a slot in a cutting machine and comprisinga bar having a groove in the upper portion of one side thereof and a recess in the opposite side thereof, a cutting strip in said groove, and wedges which are pivoted to said grooved bar in said recesses and are adapted to be swung on their pivots between said grooved bar and the side wall of the slot to press said bar and strip toward the opposite side of said slot for clamping said strip.

6. A cutting stick adapted to be inserted in a slot in a cutting machine and comprising a bar having a groove in the upper portion of one side thereof and a recess in the opposite side thereof, a cutting strip in said groove, a wedge in said recess adapted to be forced between the side wall of said slot and said bar, a projection on said wedge which is located in said recess when the wedge is in its holding position, and a tool having a part adapted to enter said recess and engage said projection to draw said wedge out of said recess.

7. A cutting stick adapted to be inserted in a slot in a cutting machine and comprising a clamping bar having a groove in the upper portion of one side thereof, a strip in said groove, and a wedge adapted to be forced between the side wall of the. slot and said bar to press said bar toward the opposite wall of the slot and thereby clamp the strip in said groove, the sides of the wedge being substantially parallel with the sides of the slot at the upper portion of the wedge and tapering toward their lower edge.

8. A cutting stick adapted to be inserted in a slot in a cutting machine and compris- Copier of thin patent may ing a clamping bar having a groove in the upper portion of one side thereof, a strip in said groove and projecting beyond the side of said bar, and a wedge pivoted to one side of said bar and adapted to be swung on its pivots between said bar and the side wall of the slot to press said bar toward the opposite wall of the slot and thereby secure the strip in said groove, said wedge having a flat face near its upper edge and being tapered from the edges of said flat face toward the bottom of the wedge and toward said pivot.

9. A cutting stick adapted to be inserted in a slot in a cutting machine and comprising a clamping bar, a cutting strip adapted to be engaged by said clamping bar, and a wedge connected with said clamping bar and adapted to be moved between said bar and the side wall of the slot to press the bar toward the opposite wall of the slot to cause said clamping bar to grip said strip.

10. A cutting stick adapted to be inserted in a slot in a cutting machine and comprising a pair of clamping bars, a cutting strip adapted to be held by said clamping bars, and a wedge connected with one of said clamping bars adapted to be forced between said bar and the side wall of the slot to press the bars together to grip the strip.

Witness my hand, this 14th day of November, 1913.

CHARLES B. RUSSELL. Witnesses:

CHAS. W. PARKER, C. B. HORNBECK.

be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner or Watente.

Washington, D. G. 

